Wrench



J. O'BRIEN, JR. WRENCH.

APPLICATlON FILED JAN. 14, 1919- v I I 1,370,351 Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

awe/M70 z J. OBRIEN, JR.

WRENC H. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1919.

1,370,351. Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Svmmwtoz vfimwo JOZUZ i a citizen of the United States, residing at- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O'BRIEN, m, 0] CHENEY, NEBRASKA.

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370 351 Specification 0! Letters Patent. Pate t d M 1 1921 Application filed January 14, 1919. Serial Io. 271,086.

To allwhom it may concern: F ig.-7 is a perspective view of the mov- Be it known that I, JOHN oBm, Jr.,

Cheney, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a speclfication.

This invention has reference to quick acting wrenches, and has for its object to s1mphfy and improve the ex1st1ng art by producing a wrench in which the handle is pivotally connected to a stationary aw and coengages with the slidable jaw, so that the turning of the handle in one direction will bring the sliding jaw toward the stationary jaw to grip an obstacle therebetween, while a movement of the handle in an opposite d1-. rection will release the jaws from engagement with the obstacle. I

A further object of the invention is to produce a quick acting wrench in which one of the jaws is constructed of plates suitably spaced to receive therebetween the operating handle, the latter having a toothed end, Between the plates is arranged for slidable movement the movable jaw, the latter having a toothed shank which is engaged by the toothed end of the handle. Between the plates providing one of the jaws and the movable jaw guide means is arranged, and certain of such means comprises anti-frictional elements which not only insures the proper spacing of the plates forming the stationary jaw but reduces the friction between the jaws.

Other objects and advantages will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with this. invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, one of the plates comprising a section of the stationary jaw being removed, and the movable jaw being in a different position to that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an edge view.

Fig. 4 is a similar view looking toward the opposite edge of the wrench.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the plates constituting a member of the stationary j aw.

the numeral 3.

9.. The plates 3 are spaced away other, outward of, the shank of the movable aw.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the handle portion of the improved wrench. This handle has one of 1ts endswidened to form what may be termed the head portion thereof, and the outer edge of the head portion is struck at a curvature and is provided with transverse teeth 2.

The stationary jaw comprises two simi larlyconstructed plates, each indicated by Each of the plates, at what may be termed the inner and upper corners thereof is notched angularly, and the straight walls and if desired a portion of the angle walls provided by the said notches are formed with transverse serrations or teeth 4, and these angle toothed surfaces provide the actwo faces of the jaw. The plates are sub stantially rectangular, the inner edges of the same being straight, but the outer edges are struck at a curvature, and all of the corners of the plates are referabl rounded. The handle 1 p y 3 as indicated by the numeral 5.

The movable jaw is indicated by the numeral 6, the same having an angle active face that is formed with transverse serraprovided by the said notches,-

is. pivoted between the plates tions or teeth 7, and integrally formed-with the jaw proper is an shall term the shank and which is designated by the numeral 8. The shank has its opposite sides provided with longitudinal grooves 9 throughout the length of the said shank -and the outer face of the shank is formed with transverse teeth 10. The teeth 10 are engaged by the teeth 2. of the handle 1, so that a swinging of the handle 1 in one dlrection with respect to the stationary jaw the movable jaw will be brought toward the stationary jaw, and a swinging of the. handle in an opposite direction will cause the movable jaw to move outward and away from the stationary jaw.

The plates providing the stationary jaw have secured upon their inner faces, or formed thereonf. transversely arranged tongues 11 that are received in the grooves from each extension which I able jaw by alining, transverse, removable,

and adjustable elements, preferably in the.

and one of their ends threaded and received in threaded orifices 13 in one of the plates 3. On the round shank of each of the screws 12, between the plates 3 are sleeves 14, and these sleeves bear against the outer straight face of the shank 8 of the movable jaw 6. The heads of the screws are, of course, kerfed and may be received in reamed portions on the outer face of one of the plates 3. The kerfs provide for the reception of a screw driver so that the screw members may be adjusted to bring the plates towar or permit of the same being arranged away from each other. The movement of the plates toward each other is, of course, limited by contact with the sleeves 14, and these sleeves in reality provide rollers that reduce the friction between the stationary and the movable jaws.

It, is believed, from the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, that the simplicity of construction and the advantages thereof will be apparent.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a wrench, a handle having an arcuate end which is toothed, plates on the opposite sides of the said end of the handle pivotally said plates being widened inwardly at their upper corners in a line with the juncture of the jaws to provide opposed longitudinal tongues, a movable jaw having a central longitudinal shank extending from the under face thereof which is thickened laterally at the lower portion thereof, whereby the upper portion of the shank will be snugly received between the tongues, the sides of the lower portion thereof arranged opposite and in slight frictional contact with the inner faces of the opposedplates, and the shoulders between the upper and lower portions of the shank disposed in contacting engagement with the under faces of the tongues on the plates, the under face of teeth on the pivot end of the andle, a connecting element passing transversely through the jaws of the plates, and an antifrictional roller journaled on said element sustaining said jaws in spaced relation and V the shank being toothed and enga ed by the v 

